Someone Special
by gawilliams
Summary: Bones wants to know what Booth meant when he told her she was special when they were in London.
1. Chapter 1

_There were a number of tension points in the season 4 premiere that would make for some great stories, but I decided to focus on one and develop it further. Bones asks Booth a direct question when they get back from London and Booth finally decides to answer honestly. This will be in three parts. Here's Part one._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

For Dr. Temperance Brennan the flight back from London was a tiring one. The entire trip home she had been disturbed by the chain of events in London surrounding Booth's attitude about Ian and her possibly hooking up. She'd declined Ian's offer of a one night stand, a bit reluctantly she had to admit, for the sole reason that she hadn't wanted to upset Booth. His opinion of her meant everything in her mind, and if he did not want her to have a sexual liaison that he was directly aware of, then she was not going to push it. But he'd said something that troubled her. She had been engaging in some rather interesting banter with him as he tried to park that car about sex and when the discussion had turned to Ian's obvious interest in her, Booth had told her that she deserved better than that. He even told her that she was special. That had been what she had concentrated her thoughts on during the long flight.

Exactly what was he getting at? Was he interested in her as more than just partners? The evidence seemed to point in that direction if his attitudes towards her sexual forays the last couple of years, and especially the previous seven months, were anything to go by. But she couldn't be sure. He'd set that damn line between them and that was something she took seriously. Her regard for Booth's opinions as related to their partnership was extremely high and she wanted to be able to have the same high standards as he held. Clearly it was time to have a conversation with him and get the answers she wanted.

Once she had decided upon a course of action, she grabbed her keys and left her apartment to go to see him. It may be one in the morning, but she was nothing if not determined.

When she arrived she knocked but there was no answer. Pulling out the key he had given her a long time back, she went in and smirked. The music was blaring from his bathroom. It was just like when she had confronted him when she found out he was still alive. For a moment she blanched as she recalled the horror of looking down on him in that club as he lay there after being shot with a bullet that was meant for her. She had begged him not to die and the couple of weeks that she thought he was dead had been deeply traumatizing. Crying every night and then working on autopilot during the day, only to come home to cry some more. The only comfort she had felt was the knowledge that she had killed the woman who had killed her Booth. It tore at her that she took comfort in having killed someone, but she took whatever comfort she could get.

Bones looked at the bookcase on one wall that held some of Booth's pictures and mementos. Her eyes gazed at the pictures of him with his son Parker on one shelf, and then on the next shelf down he had pictures of the 'Squint Squad' as he had dubbed her assistants, including a picture of Zack. Her heart ached at what had become of Zack and somewhere inside she knew that she would always harbor some small bit of guilt over their young friend's fate. Maybe if they had all been more sensitive when the Army had sent him out of Iraq and hurt his confidence and dignity he wouldn't have been so susceptible to the approach of the Gormagon. She pushed those thoughts aside as she looked on the next shelf down, which was in the pride of place on the case, direct center. On it from left to right were hardback copies of her four novels in pristine condition, followed by the paperback versions which were obviously well read. Since she knew that Booth only bought books brand new, she determined that he was the one who had evidently read them a number of times. Next to that were the three textbooks she had been commissioned to write. Looking closer she saw that there were slips of paper sticking out of all three in numerous places with small writing on them. He had not only been buying her professional publications, but reading them and taking notes. Next on the shelf were a dozen different pictures of her from the years that they had been working together. Some were of her in the lab and her office working, and others were of her in casual settings such as the park and diner. One stopped her perusal. It was a fabulous photo of her with a wide smile, completely honest and open, and it was in a beautiful sterling silver frame with roses etched into the metal.

They definitely had to talk. She was through with his squeamishness when it came to them, and she was very interested in finding out what he thought. Squaring her shoulders, she made for the bathroom and slid the door open just like she had the last time, and just like last time he had on his ridiculous beer hat, was smoking a cigar, and reading a comic book.

"We need to talk!" she said loudly.

"What the hell???" Booth said in a shocked voice. His cigar fell into the water and the rubber hose for his hat went shooting out of his mouth, beer running into his bath water.

"I said we need to talk. Now take off that ridiculous hat and get out of the tub," she demanded, though she ran her eyes over his chest, stopping with a pale expression on her face as she saw for the first time his uncovered wound. It was healed over, but it was a pinkish pucker that stood out against his otherwise perfect torso. The agony of seeing him laying on the floor bleeding while she held him played out again, but this time she ignored the pull of it.

"Bones?! Can't I even take a bath without being interrupted?" Booth demanded. "Or is this another conversation where I will once again be labeled a pervert for being naked _in my own bathroom?"_

"If it will help we can have the conversation in the living room after you're dressed, or we can have it in here. I'll even get naked myself if it will make you more comfortable," she told him. She cursed his more Puritan ideals once again, though she had enjoyed the view he had given her a few months before for which she had teasingly praised his more modern senses of _im_modesty.

Booth felt a major stroke coming on. No matter how he sliced it he was royally fucked. Either he breaks the record for the most Hail Mary's ever meted out from confession for his instant surge of impure thoughts and encouragement of Bones to strip down, or he would be neutered in his own living room fully clothed since she was obviously upset with him about something. He had also noticed her pale expression as her eyes fell on his scar from the gunshot wound.

"Go into the living room and I'll join you there in a few minutes," he told her with a sigh. "And before you ask, which I'm sure you would, I won't be standing up with you in here again. It's not a peep show."

"So much for modern sensibilities," she muttered, a bit disappointed. His body was impressive, after all. She raised her voice. "Five minutes, Booth, or I come back in and we have this discussion in here," she told him and then turned on her heel leaving hims sitting there in his tub. She slid the door shut behind her.

"Fuck," Booth muttered. He looked up at the ceiling. "You know, any help down here about now would be greatly appreciated, Big Guy," he supplicated to God before standing up and stepping out of the tub.

Bones spent the five minutes in the living room thinking about the healed wound she had seen in his bathroom. It brought back all the painful memories of that awful night, even more than hear earlier ruminations had. The only thing she really remembered about that night after he had passed out in her arms was at the hospital in the waiting room with the others. _"I'm sorry, Dr. Brennan. There was nothing we could do. He died on the operating table."_ Those words from the surgeon had completely unhinged her and she had fallen to the floor crying. She imagined that Angela had taken her home, but she wasn't really sure.

"Bones?" Booth asked as he took in the pale look on her face and the slight rocking her body was doing as she sat on the couch.

Bones shook her head to try and erase the images. She looked over at him and saw that he had on a pair of grey sweat pants and an FBI t-shirt. "I'm still mad at you, you know," she told him.

Booth sighed. What else was new? He figured that it was about her not having been notified that his death was a ruse considering how she paled when she saw his scar. "You saw the list of contacts I gave the Bureau, Bones. It was Sweets fault. Why don't you just go slug him?" he said not for the first, or even the hundredth time.

"You still should have called me," she told him tartly. "Besides, I've already dealt with Sweets," she added with a small smile. The royal ass chewing that she had given to Deputy Director Cullen over Sweets' interference had rolled downhill to Sweets and when Cullen had finished with the young man, the kid had been practically begging for her forgiveness.

"Really?" Booth asked. "How come I didn't get to watch you belt the little twerp?" He'd have paid good money to see that. Sweets had caused him some serious grief with his bullshit about not letting Bones know.

"Why did you say I'm special?" she asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Booth asked, very confused at the sudden about face in the conversation.

"When we were in London and arguing about Ian wanting me you got mad and said I was special and no one else was. Why did you say that?" she pressed.

Booth put his head down in his hands. "Why are you bringing this up, Bones?" he asked.

"Because I'm constantly getting confused," she told him. "You drew that damn line between us and then you create problems for me in my personal life. You act more like a jealous lover than my best friend. Then you say I'm special. So I want a discussion about this. An honest one, Booth. No more bullshit."

Booth inwardly cursed as he realized that he had gone too far. He'd always had some trouble thinking of Bones with other men, but he'd tried to be careful. Obviously he had been too obvious. "I'm sorry if being concerned about you interfered," he said contritely.

"Not good enough, Booth," Bones said bluntly. "Since you don't want to start, I guess I will. You better be prepared, because I know you're going to be uncomfortable."

Booth groaned. Very few subjects made him uncomfortable, but sex was very much at the top of that list, and Bones very well knew it. Since they'd been bickering about Ian's blatant attempts to have a one night stand with Bones, he just knew that she was about to open up about sex.

_A/N: Sorry for stopping it here, but I wanted to make this a three part story and the perfect second part would be Bones letting Booth know what she was thinking about all this. I hope that this first part was good enough to entice you all into reading further once I post some more. Let me know what you think. Gregg._


	2. Chapter 2

_Sorry about leaving the first chapter hanging like that, but I thought Bones' tirade deserved a short chapter all of it's own. Hopefully this will make up for the surprise halt at the end of the last chapter. I wanted to let Bones vent and let some of her own 'feelings' loose for once, and Booth be the lucky recipient. I also felt that it would be a bit raw considering her confusion at Booth's actions over the years and she would want to hit him with as much shock value as possible. Let me know what you think. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Bones stood up and began to pace in front of a seated Booth. She was angry, unnerved, flustered, confused, and most of all, aroused. Yes, aroused. She had been so since she had seen Booth acting so damn jealous in London, despite the interference in her being able to possibly enjoy a one night stand to relieve some pent up sexual tension that always lingered when she worked with, or spent any time with, Booth. Now, though, he had her questioning her own personal life and sexual proclivities.

"I'm angry, Booth," she began after she calmed down slightly. She looked at the picture of her in the silver frame. It was a beautiful picture and the frame set it off perfectly. "Ever since I met you, my personal life has been confusing, and disappointing."

Booth heard that and didn't know what to say. He had certainly never wanted to make her life a mess, but now that she mentioned it, he had interfered, though with the best of intentions.

"Before you came into my life, I had a satisfying job and a satisfying sex life that met the needs of my biological imperatives," she continued. "I know that you don't really approve of how I have always viewed sex, and the ways in which I engage in my sex life, but that has always been my decision.

"But then you came along. From the start, even though I really didn't like you then, I was attracted to you. You have a perfect body, with excellent symmetry. Your dominant Alpha Male tendencies, while not appealing in ordinary circumstances, are what I look for in a sexual partner. Someone who I can challenge and compete with, but also be a woman with. Your general attitude of gender equality, though, would make for an excellent give and take during sex. We worked together, though, and that made me pause. Instead I continued to deal with my needs as always.

"Unfortunately, from the start, you began to invade that personal space through showing up while I was on a date, or doing background checks on the men I was seeing, including those I had had sexual relations with in the past and had simply called for some no strings sex."

While she was working through her thoughts verbally, she spent the time moving around the room, not really looking at Booth, but always aware of what he was doing. Mainly it was looking down at his feet with his hands twitching as he held them together. She smirked inwardly at that as she knew he was getting increasingly nervous. Ordinarily when they would have a personal argument they would be in a really back and forth spat by now and it would soon be reduced to the silent treatment on both sides. Not good interpersonal relations on either of their parts, but that was who they were. Now it was a different sort of argument.

"Do you know what I've been reduced to at times when you've been really stifling, Booth?" she asked with no intention of letting him hazard a guess. "There have been times when I've gone to a bar near where I live and picked up some good looking guy for a night to make sure that I don't have to deal with your jealousies."

She sighed. She didn't like getting that specific about how she finds her sexual partners, but he needed to know how his actions had changed things in little ways. Of course she'd picked up guys for a one night stand in bars before, but it was rarely before she met Booth. Now it was becoming increasingly common. She didn't want to think about what would happen if he happened to stop by late at night with some take out and files to go over without calling ahead, only to find her in the living room naked with some nameless guy she'd picked up at a bar for the night. Sadly, unless they settled things between them, and hopefully the line gets eliminated, that was a likely possibility sometime in the future.

"It's not just about your jealous Alpha Male tendencies, either," she began again. "That first year we were partners I began to see you more as a close friend, and you quickly became my best friend. After Cam joined our group, we were a bit off for a bit when you got together with her for a time, but when that ended and she was poisoned, I thought maybe we could explore some of the feelings that seemed to be there between us, or at least appeared to be there. Instead you told me about some line that we can't cross." She shot a glare at him when she said that, and was thankful that he had the good sense to look a bit sheepish at that statement.

"I understand the logic of the line, but to be honest, it only confused me," she continued. She faced him again. "I do not like being confused, Booth," she told him with a bit of a fierce tone.

"If you understand the logic, then what was so confusing?" Booth asked, though he didn't really know if he wanted to hear the answer. Thus far she had been dead on as far as he could tell, and he now knew a lot more about her sexual habits than he had wanted to, at least as it pertained to other men. Bones picking up guys in a bar for a one night stand did not make him feel comfortable at all. It was only slightly above meeting guys online as far as he was concerned. He was by no means a saint, and had done plenty of penance for his sexual transgressions, but he held her in extremely high regard so he would always be a bit unnerved by her less than 'moderate' personal qualities.

He hadn't said it in a condescending manner, and the question had been asked fairly, but for some reason it angered her. This whole business was making her angry and as it built up she said the one thing that she had been pondering for a long time now, ever since he drew the line if she were to be completely honest with herself. The anger forced her to blurt it out in a harsh, angry tone.

"_Because I fell in love with you_!" she shouted with a direct glare at him, challenging him to contradict her. Her eyes widened when she realized that she had just revealed her deepest secret to him. She'd always taken his lead whenever anyone suggested something other than partnerly concern between the two of them and denied it, claiming at the most that Booth was like her brother. But it had all been lies. And now, in this one simple trip to London and one simple comment from Booth said in the heat of yet another argument over a man she had been considering having a fling with, she had, as Angela had been pressing her to, caught up to her own reality.

Booth's jaw fell to the floor. He had never, even when considering them in a committed relationship, imagined her admitting to something that she professed not to believe in. He knew she loved him, but that was a far cry from her actually believing in the concept enough to admit it. Now he was getting very uncomfortable, and it wasn't only because she was revealing her sexual attitudes. He opened his mouth to say something.

Bones held up her hand in a chopping motion. "Don't say anything," she directed him bluntly.

Booth clamped his mouth shut. He knew that if she had said something that profound, then she was really trying to make something happen, and also make a serious point. He didn't think he'd ever seen her this serious before, not even when examining a particularly challenging skeletal remain.

Bones made her way over to the bookcase that held the pictures of her and pulled off the one in the silver frame. She turned back to him and showed the picture. "But you already knew that, didn't you?" she asked, her tone indicating that it was only partly rhetorical. "You took this picture when we were in LA and I was looking right at you."

"Yeah," Booth acknowledged carefully. He had absolutely no idea where this was going at this point, but he knew that Bones would be getting there quickly. He didn't know how he knew, but he trusted his gut. He only hoped that he liked what she was getting at.

"But you drew the Line, Booth!" she let loose. "I didn't like it, but I respected your wishes. I dated other men, and almost developed something very serious with Sully, even though he was a poor substitute for who I had already fallen for. I am constantly feeling stifled, Booth, and even though I had finally found someone who made me seriously question my views on love, I didn't do a damn thing about it."

She stopped for a moment to catch up to her thoughts. She was at the point in her tirade that she hadn't really thought through, and that in itself was disconcerting for a woman who was so insistent on not making any kind of move without as much forethought and verifiable facts as possible. Having calmed slightly, she continued.

"What confuses me even more is that despite all the men since that line was put between us, you still are here," she observed. "Still my partner, still my best friend, and by the looks of the pictures and my books on your shelves, the man who loves me. You haven't left, and you haven't tried to directly prevent me from having a sex life. Even in London you didn't overtly try to prevent me from accepting Ian's offer. You gave off the 'vibes' I think Angela calls them that told me that having sex with Ian would be a big mistake and harm our friendship, and then when we were arguing over my sex life you told me that I deserve better than all those other men and that I was the special one."

She halted again with a deep sigh. Booth appeared to be somewhat non-plussed and shocked at how much she had revealed in her short tirade since he had emerged from the bathroom.

"I want to know, Booth," she told him bluntly. "Why did you say I'm special? I'm a workaholic who hides from anything social unless I'm the one looking for some kind of interaction. I haven't ever been able to commit to a person since my parents left me. I am constantly asking for some kind of clarification when I don't understand some modern slang or pop culture reference. What could anyone possibly see in me that's special, Booth?" she demanded, clearly throwing the gauntlet down on him.

Booth was speechless right then. She'd let him have it and the emotion laden venting was as deep as anything he'd ever heard from her. Her discussion of her sex life had not been matter of fact, but had some real soul searching in it, despite the clipped delivery at the start. He couldn't, though, let her evaluation of herself at the end stand. She was special and a hell of a lot more than she considered herself.

"Alright, Bones, I'll tell you why you're special...."

_A/N: Slightly different than I originally conceived it, but I think the building intensity of this works better and sets up Booth's explanation much more effectively. I am presently working on the next and last installment and hop to have it posted in a few days. Let me know how this one worked. Gregg._

_A/N2: Thank you for all the wonderful reviews from everyone. Unfortunately my time is somewhat constrained most of the time and little is left for responding to reviews, but I read all of them and have been very appreciative of all of the comments and encouragement. You're all great._


	3. Chapter 3

_Well here's the next to last chapter. A lot sooner than I expected to have it done, but in addition to all the reviews that were clamoring for a next chapter quickly (which I genuinely appreciate BTW), my youngest sister called me and demanded a new chapter asap or she would pay me a visit! LOL. I hope that Booth's explanation and the resolution of this is what everyone was looking for. A bit more back and forth than the previous two, but I wanted Bones' lack of understanding social elements to be an important feature in this. Let me know what you think. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

"_Alright, Bones, I'll tell you why you're special...._"

Bones still stayed on her feet with her arms folded across her chest as she waited for him to continue. She didn't break their eye contact and she knew that he found that unnerving when she did that most of the time. It took away his control over an interpersonal situation, situations where he was normally the dominant person because of his almost preternatural ability to read people. She wanted him responding to her tonight, not engaging in a foolish attempt to control and avoid the situation at hand, despite his statement of a moment ago to tell her what she wanted to know.

"I'm waiting, Booth," she said finally when he still sat there with a slightly dazed look on his face. Surely her emotional tirade hadn't had that much of an effect on him. But apparently it had. She filed that away for future thought and consideration.

Booth knew somehow that if he screwed this one up, then his whole future with Bones would go up in flames. That was his hesitancy.

"It's because of everything you said about yourself," he told her.

"That doesn't even make any sense, Booth," she said instantly, definitely confused.

"Think about it, Bones," he told her. "You're right about me. I am overprotective and have been my whole life. I was with Rebecca, I am with Parker, and with all the other women I've ever dated. I can't deny that. With the exception of Parker, though, there's no one left in my life. Except you. You may not like it, and feel stifled, for which I apologize, but you're still with me and still the best friend I've ever had."

Bones was beginning to come to some initial conclusions, but was smart enough not to break into this train of thoughts Booth was expressing. She was a bit self-conscious about what he was implying, as if she _liked _being _protected_ somehow. Of course she couldn't deny that his so-called 'guy hugs' were the highlight of her day when he gave them to her, even if she had plans for later that night to deal with her sexual urges. That brought her up short. Booth's 'guy hugs' had more of a pleasing effect on her than _sex_??? Even really fabulous sex, she reluctantly admitted to herself.

"I'll admit, Bones, that I was not happy about being made the liaison with the Jeffersonian," Booth admitted.

"I know," Bones smiled as she recalled their first couple of meetings. Booth had been a belligerent Alpha Male who wanted nothing more than to belittle the scientific evidence that she and her team brought to bare on the particular cases at hand. Granted she had not been particularly impressed, though she had seen at the time his dedication to the truth, even if it was not as empirical a proof as she strived for.

"But you had something that I hadn't seen in a long time, if ever," he continued.

"What?" she asked, intrigued now. Her earlier anger and emotional turmoil were somehow lessening and she was beginning to feel that this was now a genuine conversation instead of an anger tinged flood of emotion. It felt right.

"A genuine desire to help people," he replied. He looked at her carefully. "People do a lot of good in the world, Bones, but not many do so without some hope of personal gain. You, on the other hand, take the horror of the real world and strip away the blurred images and extraneous issues and hone in on the exact nature of what happened. Do you realize how much that made me want to do better on my half of the puzzle? Do you have any idea how that desire you have has made me a better person and someone who can live with, if not accept, the bad things I did as a Ranger sniper? Quite simply Bones, you, just by being yourself, were just what I needed at that time in my life and I can't imagine when you could never be just as important to me."

"But that's professional," Bones debated the point. She wanted to make sure that what was determined was not focused on the side of the equation she had no problem with. She wanted the personal dimension of his London statement explained. "I want to know why you think I'm special personally."

Booth cocked his head and stared at her. It seemed impossible to him that she really didn't know how incredible she really was. Obviously he had neglected a significant part of being a best friend. Not meaningless flatteries, but honest appreciation of another person, physically and emotionally.

"Because you are a workaholic, afraid of commitment and need help understanding slang and pop culture," he told her earnestly, letting his eyes, which she always seemed to pay particular attention to, speak even more volumes.

"Excuse me?" she asked. "I don't understand."

"How many hours do you work each week?" he asked.

"About 80-90," she told him, knowing it was a bit more than that when she worked on weekends, but that was not all the time. She gave him an average week.

"So do I, if not more," Booth replied. "Have I been able to commit to anyone?"

"Rebecca," Bones said with a hint of uncertainty.

"Because of Parker, and I don't have a commitment to her like I'm talking about," he partially acknowledged. "Anyone else?"

"Not that I'm aware of," she admitted.

"Outside of the timing of some of you questions about slang and pop culture, have I ever been anything but patient when you want to understand and know something?" he asked.

"You've always answered my questions, even when you didn't like them, or the timing was bad," she acknowledged with a facial reaction that told him how much that patience with her meant to her personally.

"So in reality I see in you someone who is as dedicated to their work, their passion if you will, as I am, a person who is cautious about the idea of being tied to one person, and someone who has a desire to learn as much as I do," he tied the different threads into a small bundle that sounded rather pleasant. "Why do you think I bought the textbooks you've written and made notes throughout them?" he questioned.

"I didn't even know you understood them," she blurted out. "I wrote them for graduate courses in specific courses of study."

Booth chuckled. "I know, and I have a number of technical reference books around here to help me when I read your Squint stuff," he admitted in a teasing tone. "I bought them because I was proud that my best friend had been asked to write such complicated works for college students, and I also wanted to learn more about what you do so we could have even more in common, Bones. Call me crazy, but I enjoy spending time with you, and common interests or points of discussion can help with that."

"How much of them do you understand?" she questioned. She'd written books that normally required a fair bit of preparatory course work and lab time before engaging in their use, so her question was legitimate, if not necessarily germane to the discussion at hand.

"Enough to know that I can say something to you that I love hearing from you," he said with a humorous glint in his eyes. He was pleased that even though the discussion they were having was serious, the tension levels had decreased a lot with a small bit of humor that was, simply put, them.

"What?" she asked.

He grinned. "'I don't know what that means,'" he told her with a short chuckle.

Bones groaned. She always said that to him, and anyone else when she didn't understand something. It was like a signature phrase, or something. "I think we should get back to our conversation," she suggested. She tilted her head. "How can I be special when on a very important issue, you think I'm wrong?" she asked.

"What issue?" he asked.

"My views about sex, and the fact that I know you disapprove of how I've dealt with my biological imperatives," she explained.

Booth sighed. Despite the focus of much of her rant, he had been hoping to avoid this subject, at least until he'd been able to process his thoughts a bit more. But he didn't have that luxury.

"First, just because I disagree with how you've usually viewed sex, that doesn't mean I don't think you're special," he informed her. "I haven't been a saint in my own sex life, as my on again off again sex life with Rebecca for a few years proves, and what I did when I was gambling also shows. I'm the last one to judge you on that. Second, when you've been with men, you've been making the decision and were honest with them about what you were after. Those guys, even Sully to a certain extent if his asking you to sail away with him is anything to go by, only thought of one thing when they were with you, and that was what it would take to get into your pants. They never really took the time to know the real you, or be honest about what they were about. What it boils down to is, agree or disagree with you views, or proclivities, you're genuine, Bones."

Bones spent a moment processing what he said and when she really considered it, she had to admit he was right. The men she looked to for her sexual satisfaction had generally been interested only in how to get in her pants, which she didn't mind, but she had been honest about it, while they had been more about flattery and the usual male subterfuge about getting sex from a woman. But one thing still bothered her, even though she now could understand why he considered her special, though she didn't necessarily think of herself that way.

"You say I'm special, and your actions say you want me, but what about the line?" she asked. It was a way to bring some closure to the conversation, and also see if he wanted to move forward in their relationship. She hoped he did, but wasn't too sure, though.

"It's probably one of the stupidest things I've ever said or done," he told her directly with not hesitation. "I was scared, Bones that something would happen to you, and frankly that would kill me. Look at how you were when you thought I was dead. And before you say you 'compartmentalized', you should know I had a chat with Angela, so I know what really went on."

She sucked in a rapid breath as she remembered that two week hell, and instantly understood what he was saying. She'd deal with Angela revealing so much to Booth later.

"Alright, Booth," she said when she calmed down her anxious reaction to the mention of his fake death. "I think I understand what you meant in London, but what do we do now? Is the line gone or isn't it? Do you love me? Do we simply remain partners, or do we try for a relationship? If we don't attempt a relationship, then do you back off and let me enjoy my personal and sexual pursuits, or do you keep on stifling me? This needs to be resolved, Booth."

"It's all up to you, Bones," Booth replied. "I've effectively controlled the boundaries of our friendship and relationship since we met, and look how much of a mess I made of it. I never meant to confuse you or make you uncomfortable, Bones."

"I know," she conceded with a small whisper. She did know, but it didn't take away from the hurt and anger she'd experienced over the years. The men she'd been with had been satisfying, yes, but not who she had wanted to be with, and that had scarred her emotionally to a point, she now realized. Jaded her even more somehow.

"Then that puts you in the driver's seat," Booth told her.

"I know what that one means," she said with a bright smile.

"Well then, what is your wish?" he asked.

"Do you love me?" she asked him bluntly. She bit her lower lip nervously, as his answer would determine her decision. All that he'd said so far had been wonderful, but he hadn't said the words yet.

"More than it's possible to say in words," he told her a bit poetically, hoping that she would accept a literary manner.

Bones smiled. "Then I want a serious, committed relationship," she informed him. "No line, no boundaries, and the only rule is that we be with each other and stay together. I can't deal with the confusion anymore, Booth, and I want you. _Only_ you." With that she turned and began walking down the hall.

"Bones?" Booth called out. She turned to face him and looked at him as if he was an idiot for saying anything. "Where are you going?"

"To the bedroom," she told him with a smile. "Unless you want to sleep alone...?"

Booth's jaw about hit the floor, though he knew he shouldn't be surprised at this. This was Bones, after all. He got up from the couch and hurried after her. "Alone bad, together good," he said in his best caveman imitation.

Bones laughed. "Alpha Male Neanderthal," she murmured as she was swept up in his arms and carried into the bedroom. She nuzzled his neck and nipped him playfully. "Thank you," she told him with a whisper in his ear.

"For what?" he asked.

"For thinking I'm special," she told him. "And for telling me, despite the circumstances."

"Anytime," he said as he kicked the bedroom door shut.

_A/N: I had thought to make this one the last chapter, but decided to add one more where Bones wakes Booth up the next morning and shows him how much she enjoys arriving at work late._


	4. Chapter 4

_Here's the final chapter of this story. I wanted to end it on a fun, but sexy note, using a flashback sequence that I enjoy using in stories where possible. Thank you for all the great reviews and encouragement during the course of this story. Let me know what you think of this one. Gregg._

_Disclaimer: I don't own, or profit from, these characters or franchise. No copyright infringement is intended._

Bones sat down in her office and turned on the computer, quickly going through her e-mail inbox, deleting most of the messages as she had no desire to add much more on the consulting side of her extensive work. A couple of lecture invitations looked interesting, and she would consider them after she had a chance to talk to Booth, as she was going to start taking him on all her lecture engagements. She'd discuss it with the FBI and Cullen in the next couple of days.

"SWEETIE!" Angela's enthusiastic voice came crashing into the calm office. She burst into the room and went directly to her best friend. Looking carefully at Bones, her eyes widened. "You had sex last night and again this morning!" she declared.

Bones, instead of trying to protest, or drag the fun discussion out a bit, simply smiled. "That obvious?" she prompted.

"Well let's look at the evidence," Angela replied. "First, you're two hours late for work, or at least two hours late for you. Second, you have a fresh hickey on your neck that you missed when you put on your foundation. I think that adds up to the single conclusion that you had your wicked way with a certain hot guy last night."

"Certain guy?" Bones teased a bit more.

"Oh come on, Bren," Angela whined. "Booth's the only guy you would have possibly done the horizontal Mamba with last night since you two didn't get in from London until almost midnight. I'm right, aren't I?"

Bones chuckled. "I should just stay quiet and let you suffer," she chided good naturedly. "But to answer your question, yes. Booth and I had sex last night."  
Angela let loose an ear splitting squeal. "Oh Sweetie! It's about damn time!" she crowed. Then she got down to the important stuff. "How'd it happen, and more important, how is FBI Hottie in bed?"

Bones winced slightly at the squeal. Angela could shatter a persons ear drums with that high pitched squeal of hers.

"Booth said something in London and it bothered me, so when we got home, I decided to confront him," she explained. "About one o'clock I went to his apartment and barged in on him in the bathtub."

Angela got a wide eyed look. "AGAIN???" she demanded. She was still in awe over the last time Bren had done that, and a bit jealous. She may be with Hodgie, but the FBI stud muffin was definitely some hot eye candy for any woman.

"Uh huh," Bones nodded. "And he was wearing that silly beer hat and smoking a cigar like last time."

"Did he stand up?" Angela demanded. That had really gotten her attention a few months previously. Bren had actually gotten to see the full package!

"No," Bones sighed. "He said it wasn't a peep show," she chuckled.

"What'd he say that caused you to confront him last night?" Angela asked, now very curious about it all, and not just the sex. Her imagination was already working at a high level.

Bones shifted a bit, slightly uncomfortable now. "He said I was special," she admitted. It was nothing bad, or intensely personal by itself, but the whole situation and the emotions surrounding it were very private for both herself and Booth.

"I'm assuming it was said during a conversation about sex," Angela replied finally. It was the only reason that would make Bren uneasy about discussing what Booth had told her. Despite how much she and Bren gossiped about each other's sex lives at times, Bren had always been pretty closed mouthed about the discussions she and Booth had had about sex, usually revealing only a few minor details, but enough for a good gab session.

"Booth was upset over the fact that I had been seriously considering Ian's offer of a one night stand," Bones admitted. Angela knew about Ian already, and that she had been seriously considering the idea until Booth had become intensely displeased by the idea. Admittedly Ian had been incredibly rude to Booth and had carried on his attempts in front of him, but Booth's behavior had also been slightly beyond the pale. At least due to the fact that she and Booth had not been a couple at that point. "We were arguing about it, a bit, and he said suddenly that I was special and that no one else was."

Angela nodded, knowing how such a remark would really impact Bren. For all her brilliance, the woman seriously questioned her worth when it came to the subject of Booth. The man had been a Godsend for Bren, in Angela's opinion, as he had opened the door to the world around her so that Bren could learn what it was that everyone had been shocked to see her missing in her life. For Bren, though, it had been a very unnerving thing. She'd always convinced herself that she was not worth the effort after her parents and Russ had abandoned her. As much as Bren had reveled in Booth's devoted friendship, she had also been scared of it ending. To hear Booth say she was special would impact her deeply, and she would definitely go to him demanding an explanation.

"So what happened then?" Angela asked.

"I gave Booth five minutes to get out of the bath, put some clothes on, and then we talked," Bones replied with a small smirk on her face as she remembered the venting she'd done before he even had a chance to say anything. "I was about halfway through my raving and I had just told him that his actions and the line had confused me. He asked me why and that's when everything changed."

"How?" Angela asked. She was definitely curious now.

Bones blushed a bit, as if what she was about to say was embarrassing somehow. "I told him it was because I had fallen in love with him," she told her friend reluctantly.

Angela smiled widely. No loud squeal or small victory dance this time. "So you decided to be honest with him," she replied simply.

"I hadn't intended on telling him that, at least not last night, but I blurted it out and then after that I told him how much his line had hurt me and how completely frustrated my personal life was because of it and his jealousies," Bones told her. "I then demanded to know why he thought I was special. He told me, and I don't know how, Ange, but he made me feel as if all the things that I considered deep character flaws about myself were in fact good things."

"He made you think of yourself as a Princess," Angela grinned.

Bren almost denied such a ridiculous idea, but once she thought about it, she couldn't deny it. "He did," she admitted. It was such a little girl's way of viewing something so serious, but oddly enough it fit with all the emotions that she had felt as he had his turn to reply to her question.

"So that's when you guys went at it like greased monkeys?" Angela demanded to know. The details of the conversation could wait for another time.

Bones laughed. "Actually, we were both too tired to have sex last night, so we fell asleep in his bed," she further admitted. Then she got a thoroughly wicked look in her eyes. "But we made up for it this morning," she informed her friend. As she said it, she smiled at the memory.

_Bones woke at her usual time of 5:00 am, not quite sure where she was or who she was in bed with. Then the confrontation and revelations of the night before came flooding back and she smiled. Her head was pillowed on Booth's chest, and she breathed in his intoxicatingly masculine scent, intermingled with the slight musty body odor one expects in the morning. Her hand was on his abdomen, and she lightly stroked the toned flesh, enjoying the feel of him. She could tell by the rhythmic breathing that he was still asleep. Not surprising considering that they had been talking until __almost 1:45 and then had spent a small amount of time holding each other before falling asleep. Less than three hours sleep. She should be exhausted after the long flight and then the conversation afterwards, but instead she felt energized. Booth had given her something she had craved since she had lost her parents when they left her: validation. Not the accolades and recognition that come from her professional life, but, rather, the acceptance and respect from another of the qualities that make her who she is as a person. All the negative, socially depressed qualities that she'd allowed to break her down and damage her self-esteem he had told her he accepted and loved her for. It's what made her special to him. The damaged and jaded psyche that had found solace in her work, and a number of transient lovers over the years, was now able to take stock of the real world and see something worth holding onto and believing in with her heart: Booth._

_Deciding that this morning she deserved, and so did he, to be able to enjoy the benefits of this newly recognized and acknowledged relationship, she moved her hand slowly down his abdomen to his morning erection, which, to her delight, was unencumbered by anything as both had slept in the nude. She hadn't thought anything of it at the time, but she mused now that perhaps both had known that this would be the result of waking up in the same bed. Running her delicate, but strong, fingers along his length, she once again was impressed at his length and girth. He would be a wonderful lover, she could already tell just from the size of him. She dipped lower and cupped his balls, rolling them around, gently taking in their size and feel. He was perfect, as she'd always suspected. She'd been very desirous of this happening ever since she'd broken in on his bath the first time several months before when he had come back from the dead. Taking a firm grasp of his shaft, she began a sturdy stroke, wanting to coax a bit more life into him, though keeping him asleep until the real fun began._

_Gently throwing the blanket and sheet off of them, she slithered down until she was at eye level with his erection. Almost as if she was scrutinizing a bone fragment or other remain, she studied him carefully, committing every curve, ridge, and contour to memory. Inhaling slowly, she memorized his scent, muskier than his upper body, and deliciously masculine. She heard him moan a bit and looked to see if he was awake, but he wasn't. He must be reacting to her touch, which brought a smile to her face. Leaning in, she ran her tongue along the length of him, learning his slightly salty taste, letting her tongue swirl around the large purple head. A drop of pre-cum emerged from the tip and she lapped it up, loving the taste, and sense of power that came with it. It was time. Opening her mouth, she took him in, slowly engulfing over three quarters of his length, using her tongue to memorize him further. Her free hand continued massaging his balls. She let her head bob up and down his length, listening to him to see when he would wake and realize what was happening. A minor change in the tone of his groaning told her that he was waking up. She sped up her motion to give him a bit more to enjoy._

_"Bones?" Booth managed to croak out as he realized that somehow he was in the middle of an incredible blowjob. She was the only one it could be as he had gone to bed with her the night before after that rather unbelievable conversation the night before. "Oh, God," he let out as he lifted his head and saw her head moving up and down on him._

_Bones let him slip from her mouth and looked up at him. "No, just me," she teased, stroking him with her hand now, his length slick from her saliva._

_"Far be it from me to complain, Bones, but isn't it a bit early for this?" he asked, having noticed the clock at his bedside reading 5:20._

_"I love sex in the morning, Booth," she told him by way of reply. It was true, but she didn't often engage in it, usually reserving that for someone she was involved with for longer than a one night stand, which wasn't very often at all. Frankly, Sully was the last one that she could place in that category, but she didn't like thinking about that. "Besides, we have a lot of catching up to do," she reminded him._

Bones broke off from her memory of the morning and smiled at Angela. She decided that she didn't want to tell her best female friend how many times Booth had made love to her, or the fact that the man definitely knew how to make use of the limited space in a stand up shower stall. Add to that the fact that the man was also a master at using his tongue and fingers on a woman's body to bring her the most shattering explosions of pleasure, and Bones was very satisfied. A warmth gathered inside her as she recalled the morning and the torrid, passionate kiss he'd given her when he dropped her off at work a short time before.

"How about some details?" Angela pressed. She was eager to know just how incredible Booth was.

Bones continued to smile. "Actually, Ange, I think that should be between Booth and myself," she told her friend. She was amazed at it, though. Apparently Booth's discretion was rubbing off on her in some fashion.

"But I tell all about Hodgie and me!" Angela protested lightly. She thought it was a bit adorable that Bren was accepting Booth's attitude about privacy and personal issues, but she was also a lover of gossip, so Bren's newfound attitude was frustrating.

"I hardly think making love with Booth in his bed is the same as you and Hodgins screwing in the Cleopatra Bed in the Egyptian exhibit," Bones pointed out with an amused smile.

Angela brightened. "You know, Hodgie and I haven't done that in a while," she mused. "I think I'm going to go find him and see if he wants a quickie. Talk to you later, Sweetie!" she waved as she bounded out of Bren's office in search of her man.

"Damn," Bones huffed. "Now I'm turned on again!" She spent ten minutes trying to quell her arousal to no avail. She picked up her cell phone and hit number one on the speed dial. "Booth?" her eyes lit up on hearing his voice. She could tell he was in a meeting with Cullen. This would get his attention. "Can you come by here for an early lunch? I was thinking we could do an experiment and see how big the back of the SUV is. Maybe even see if two people could fit comfortably back there, possibly with no clothes on? What do you think?" she teased with a slight purr to her voice. She almost laughed out loud as she heard what could only be Booth falling out of his chair as he gasped in shock at her suggestion. Then she heard what he said. Her smile widened as he told her in a rapid spate of words that he'd be there in half an hour. Then he hung up. He'd done it again. He'd shown her how special she really was to him. Now if she could only get through the next half hour without going crazy from sexual frustration.

_A/N: Short, and more suggestive than anything, but seems to fit with the prior three chapters. Thank you to everyone for the wonderful reviews and the encouragement to continue with this story. Let me know what you think of this one. All the best, Gregg._


End file.
